In 1988, when Jennifer Jewiss was an undergrad at the University of Vermont, she decided to adopt a cat. When she visited the South Burlington shelter run by the Humane Society of Chittenden County she found a furry companion โ and so much more.
Pรผs (Norwegian for โcatโ) was a long-hair tortoiseshell cat. Jewiss bonded with her immediately. For the next 18 years, Pรผs was Jewissโ best friend. โShe was the worldโs greatest cat, and I say that with all objectivity and a totally unbiased perspective,โ Jewiss joked.
After her positive experience with the adoption, Jewiss returned to the organization with a different question: How could she help? โWhatever it is you need, Iโll do it,โ Jewiss told the organizationโs leaders. She started with stuffing envelopes and sitting at the reception desk. Eventually, Jewissโ volunteer work evolved into joining committees and serving on the board.
In 1998, 10 years after adopting Pรผs, Jewiss became the boardโs president and cochaired the committee that raised more than $4 million for the current shelter building.
Jewiss is just one of thousands of volunteers and staff members who have kept the organization running for more than a century.
In 2025, the Humane Society of Chittenden County rescued 210 animals from cruelty, abuse, abandonment, hoarding or neglect and facilitated 965 adoptions from its shelter on Kindness Court in South Burlington. When the organization started 125 years ago, members and volunteers worked out of a small Burlington garage. All these years later, the mission is essentially the same: to find every pet a loving home and to provide every pet owner the resources they need to give the animals in their care a healthy, happy life.
To mark its anniversary, the Humane Society of Chittenden County will host its annual Best Friends Benefit at the Farmhouse at the Essex Resort & Spa on May 29. It serves as both a party and a fundraiser.
Jewiss believes itโs a worthy cause. โThey go to great lengths to help animals and pet owners who might be struggling,โ she noted. Since Pรผs, she has now adopted five animals from the Humane Society of Chittenden County, all of which became beloved members of her family.
Volunteer Vanessa Zerillo agrees. โHSCC goes above and beyond,โ she said. โThe people there recognize every animalโs uniqueness and work really hard to match adopters with the best fit.โ
125 Years of Animal Welfare
The facility on Kindness Court in South Burlington serves as the central location for all of the organizationโs work, which extends beyond sheltering animals and making adoption matches. Directly inside the front door is an animal food pantry where pet owners can pick up supplies for free, donated by the community or purchased by HSCC. Farther inside, there is a medical clinic providing spay and neuter surgeries.
Thereโs also a large multipurpose room, where the organization holds classes and events. The room also serves as the central location for Camp Paw Paw, a popular summer camp started in 2008 that teaches kids about animal care and welfare.
HSCC has come a long way since its founding in 1901. Back then, residents of St. Albans responded to a case of animal cruelty in which a horse was severely beaten. The incident caused people in Vermont to realize that there was a need for an organization to protect the welfare of animals locally.
Three months after that incident in St. Albans, 20 people gathered in Burlington to form the Humane Society of Chittenden County. One of the first elected officers was John Fuller, whose garage on Clymer Street functioned as the organizationโs first location.
Since then, the groupโs efforts have grown exponentially, from the garage to a larger facility built by June and Herb Davis in South Burlington in 1961; the couple are considered the organizationโs modern-day founders. After outgrowing that facility, the organization built another in 2002. The need for its services only continues to grow. According to executive director Jess Wilson, the organization is poised to launch a capital campaign in the next few years to expand the current building.
Community Care
The Humane Society of Chittenden County was started by a small group of community members who volunteered their time to help animals, and despite how much the organization has grown since, volunteer efforts continue to be essential. In 2025, volunteers donated 8,129 hours of labor, doing everything from cleaning animal enclosures to working community events for the shelter. They even do laundry.
Zerillo began helping out with the organization after her dog passed away. She was โcompletely grief-strickenโ and was having a hard time moving forward.
โMy husband suggested that doing some volunteer work might help me get out of this state,โ she said.
Zerilloโs not afraid to get her hands dirty volunteering. She visits the shelter twice a week and feeds the animals, does laundry and washes dishes. โWhatever needs to be done,โ she clarified. Sheโs staffed a table at more events than she can count.
Zerillo has stayed involved as a volunteer and donor for nearly 30 years because of the organizationโs mission. โI love animals, but itโs more than that,โ she said. โI strongly believe in what they do, not just to help animals but to help owners, too. Supporting them is a no-brainer.โ
Happy, Healthy Lives
In addition to the hundreds of animals that find new homes every year through the Humane Society of Chittenden County, the organization highly prioritizes what is called โsurrender preventionโ โ keeping animals from being brought to the shelter to begin with.
โThatโs why our work spaying and neutering pets is so important,โ Wilson said. โWhen we address unwanted overpopulation, weโre preventing more animals from finding their way to our doorstep.โ The organization provided these services for more than 2,100 animals in 2025. In addition to the surgery clinic at the South Burlington shelter, the organization also operates the Community Pet Clinic in the Old North End, which offers wellness exams and vaccines. Many of HSCC medical services are subsidized for low-income pet owners thanks to support from donors and grants โ more than $53,000 in veterinary care grants were awarded in 2025 alone.
โIt really goes to the heart of HSCC, because if we can keep an animal in a loving home, thatโs a win,โ Wilson said.
The organization has many other surrender prevention efforts, such as the Spay the Mom program, which takes in pregnant animals, cares for them in foster homes and finds homes for the babies. Then the mother returns to her original owner after her free spay surgery. Additionally, the organization works with local service providers such as Howard Center or Steps to End Domestic Violence to provide temporary, emergency housing for the pets of clients experiencing domestic violence, struggling with substance use or other issues.
These programs require significant resources. While HSCC brings in revenue from adoptions and the Community Pet Clinic, more than 65 percent of its budget comes from grants and the generosity of the local community.
The organization is celebrating 125 years of service with both a party and a fundraiser to recognize the achievements of the past and plan for the future.
โThe reality is, the needs of our community continue to outpace our capacity,โ Wilson said. โWe have set a goal to raise $125,000 at this yearโs benefit in honor of our 125th birthday and to help support our lifesaving work.โ ๏ฎ
Imogen’s Story
